Health Minister Mark Butler orders fast-tracked review of Covid-19 vaccine procurement

Health Minister Mark Butler has announced an urgent inquiry into Australia’s Covid-19 vaccine arrangements.

Health Minister Mark Butler has ordered an urgent inquiry into Australia’s procurement of Covid-19 vaccines. Picture: Liam Kidston

Health Minister Mark Butler has ordered an urgent probe into Australia’s Covid-19 vaccine procurement program.

The independent inquiry will be helmed by former health department secretary Jane Halton and examine how Australia’s supply fell short at the height of the pandemic.

It will also evaluate whether Australia’s existing stocks and purchasing arrangements are adequate given new vaccines and treatment products as well as the spread of new Covid subvariants.

“We need to make sure that we have the best information available to us sooner rather than later,” Mr Butler told reporters as he announced the inquiry on Thursday.

“There’s no hard deadline for this review to be completed, but it’s obviously something we want conducted in weeks, not many months.”

Health Minister Mark Butler ordered the fast-tracked review on Thursday. Picture: Liam Kidston

Mr Butler said the new Albanese government had inherited a range of different agreements and contracts with vaccine companies from the former Morrison Coalition government.

“It is entirely proper, I think, that we conduct an independent review of those arrangements to ensure that they are fit-for-purpose, both now, over the course of the rest of the year and into 2023,” he said.

“We need to see the results of that review in a pretty timely way. We obviously want it done properly, but we want some feedback through this review in the reasonably near term.”

Mr Butler said he made “no judgment” about existing contracts with companies, including Pfizer and Moderna, with the focus to be on future arrangements.

“But this is a fast-moving landscape. We need to make sure that we are agile here,” he said.

Australian children under five could soon receive a Covid-19 shot, pending TGA approval. Picture: Jenny Evans/Getty Images

Mr Butler hasn’t set a deadline for the fast-tracked review, but he said he wanted it completed as soon as possible.

The Morrison government was heavily criticised for its handling of the Covid-19 vaccine rollout after the push to use Pfizer shots instead of the widely available AstraZeneca left the nation with limited supply.

Mr Butler said the vaccine procurement review wouldn’t serve as a deeper inquiry into the Coalition’s handling of Covid-19.

Mr Butler has previously backed the establishment of a royal commission into the nation’s pandemic response.

His ordering of the vaccine review comes as the nation’s medicines regulator considers applications from Moderna and Pfizer to allow its vaccines to be given to children aged from six months to five years old.

If the Therapeutic Goods Administration approves the shots, young Australian children and infants could be in line to receive a Covid-19 vaccination within weeks.

Covid-19 vaccinations are approved for use in Australia by adults and children over the age of five.